Our hands-on learning at the Oregon State University Honey Bee Research Lab and apiaries continued as Ellen and Carolyn sent us out on a mission – inspecting yet another failing hive to determine the cause. Hive 2: We opened this hive to find a dwindling population of bees. We pulled out frames to inspect the […]
Our hands-on learning at the Oregon State University Honey Bee Research Lab and apiaries continued as Ellen and Carolyn sent us out on a mission – inspecting two weak hives to determine the cause. Boise State Bee Team Visits OSU – part 1 Boise State Bee Team Visits OSU – part 2 Hive 1: We […]
Day two of our edu-vacation at Oregon State University’s Honey Bee Research Lab was all hands-on! Ellen and Carolyn took us out to their research apiary which was on the edge of town in the rural farmland area. The knowledge we took away from this experience was invaluable. There is something to be said about […]
The Boise State Bee Team (the campus beekeeping club) took an edu-vacation to Oregon State University this summer. The eight students on the trip coined this term “edu-vacation” as the perfect description for our adventure because it was an educational vacation. Seemed fitting. We took this opportunity to visit the OSU honey bee lab and […]
The weather this time of year in our area can be finicky – one moment it is cold and rainy and then suddenly the sun breaks through the clouds and a warm 70-degree day is upon us! This is Idaho in May – the time of year when my iPhone weather app gets constant use. […]
Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out about losing one of my two hives over winter. It sucks to lose a hive! Especially after caring for it, giving it extra TLC, and watching it thrive for so long. But, such is the life of a beekeeper. I always tell newbies (or is it new-bees?!) […]
It was early February and a slightly warm day was upon me – 50 degrees. I had been keeping my eye on the weather all winter long, eager for a day to crack open my hives, assess if they were alive, and treat for varroa mites using oxalic acid. Finally a day warm enough was […]
On the February 4, 2017, D&B Garden Show, Debbie Cook welcomes Melinda Jean Stafford to discuss winter beehive care. There is a discussion about mites, how much food you left for your bees in the fall, what to expect after an unexpected winter, and how to get started this spring. She also discusses what the BSU […]
What can I do to help my bees get through winter? The fate of our bees today depends on their status back in August. Questions to ask yourself might be: – What was your last Varroa mite count? If it was under about 3% (this number is debatable) the last time you checked, then your […]
The amount of time spent in your hive during the winter is little to none. So, it’s the perfect time to get caught up on all the other beekeeping activities neglected during the busy season – like rendering and filtering beeswax! I collect little amounts of beeswax from my hive throughout the season by cleaning […]
